The Brotherhood's Foundling
by Quorinne
Summary: For once the mutant baby wasn't discovered by the good guys. In a world with little adult supervision and non existent child services can the brotherhood raise a child.
1. Chapter 1

The apocalypse incident had ended two months ago and the situation in Bayville had returned to normal. That is to say both sides of the mutant population have returned to an uneasy coexistence filled with insults and absentee parent figures (On the brotherhoods side at least); the only exception being Lance and Kitty. Despite frequent protests and interventions, the two were still in an on again/off again relationship.

Magneto had disappeared, presumably to do something to better mutant kind in a way that wouldn't put him at odds with his new found treaty with Xavier. Mystique was off licking her wounds somewhere in between her attempts at repairing her relationship with her Children. Gambit had returned from New Orleans and was stalking/dating Rogue; no one was really sure what their deal was. Colossus had recovered his sister Illyana, after Magneto's apparent change of heart, and the two siblings were now living at Xavier's. Pyro, having nowhere else to go, had moved in with the brotherhood. All protests about the fire happy mutant moving in ceased when he began paying rent.

Yes, both sides were currently experiencing a time of peace. Mutant-human relations were at a high point, and fighting was at a low point. In fact this era would be entirely uneventful if not for one small detail approximately 15 inches long weighing 6.4 pounds currently resting amongst the trash in a small unpopular alley. This small detail also had a dirty diaper and glowing purple eyes; which may have had something to do with why it was currently sleeping in that alley.

Infants possessing physical mutations were left to die on more than one occasion. In a few years these children would even have their own slang word. In fact this infant would have likely ended up as an unfortunate statistic if it hadn't started crying at the same time a green amphibious teenage boy had walked past that exact alley.

Todd Tolansky AKA Toad was having a bad day. First Pietro started in on his bathing habits and then his beloved cuddly bumps had thrown him out the window. Forget what Lance said he knew she was just playing hard to get. If that wasn't enough the brotherhood found out that Mystique hadn't finished paying off the mortgage before she took off again. Pyro was floating them enough money to stay for now but refused to pay any more. Apparently he decided that if he had to cough up that much he might as well go get his own place. This meant that the rest of the brotherhood had to go get jobs; and Toad was the only one who hadn't managed to get one yet.

Pietro got some online gig taking surveys and doing book keeping for some overseas company who had no idea he was a mutant or a teenager (thank you bucket head for those lovely fake identification papers); a job he usually finished in about five thanks to his super speed. Lance was working at a mechanics shop that didn't have a problem hiring him as long as the customers didn't know he was a mutant. Freddy was doing what he loved, eating. He had actually been hired as a taste tester for some snack cake company. Wanda was taking her code name to heart and working at some magic shop somewhere she wouldn't tell them; apparently she didn't want visitors. Pyro, to everyone's surprise was a well-known romance novelist and currently in the middle of writing his newest book. And since Toad was the only one left out they decided he had to do all the chores until he started paying rent.

Toad hated doing chores so he had spent nearly every day searching for someplace to work but no one would let him in for an interview. He was convinced it was because he was a mutant but Pietro claimed it was due to his smell. He smelled like a man dammit, it was obviously discrimination. This injustice was what led him to kicking an empty can around on his way home; his newest best friend he decided to name Canny. After one kick too hard the can flew into a nearby alley abandoning the strange boy, leaving him without even that to vent his frustrations on.

Toad decided to forget about the can and just head home. With a depressed sigh he turned his head and took a step away from Canny. Just then he heard a strange sound. It sounded like a baby crying in the alley. But that wasn't right, babies had parents and there wasn't anybody nearby. The sound got louder. Deciding against ignoring the noise he went to check and sure enough there was a small baby mixed in with the trash. For a second Toad thought he must have been wrong, but then the baby opened its eye. There was no pupil sclera or iris; there was only a strange glowing field of purple. It was obviously a mutant, abandoned for its differences. Much like most of his friends had been. Without further thought, Toad picked the baby up and began hopping home. What happened next would be anyone's guess.


	2. Chapter 2

It was not a typical night in the Brotherhood Boarding House. In fact this was the farthest from typical the residents of said house had ever encountered. Random fires shaped like horses or dancing hula girls sure; that happened at least twice a week. Earthquakes centered solely under the building miles away from the nearest fault line; occasionally. Teenage boy shaped frogs flying through windows, well that happened at least twice a day. Babies on the other hand were a completely new experience. The six members of the house were standing around the living room couch in complete silence staring at the newborn. No one spoke a word until suddenly-

"Waaaah-"

"Oh god what's it doing! Wand you're a girl make it stop!" came a panicked shout from Lance

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm a mother you idiot, quit being sexist." The girl in question scoffed derisively. "It was abandoned, it's probably hungry. Pietro! Go to the store and grab formula."

"What! Why do I have to go?" Pietro protested. "Make someone else"

"No one else can get there as fast! Now go before I hex you!" The boy didn't bother complaining a second time; he sped off only to return moments later with a diaper bag full of baby things.

"Here's the stupid formula." He shoved the bag at his sister "I grabbed some other stuff too. I'm not going back a second time. And I hope you didn't expect me to pay for it so don't complain about stolen goods."

"Why would I care, It's not like we're X-men. Blob! Go and make the bottle, and try to follow the directions. If not cleaning up after it if it gets sick." She said while rummaging through the diaper bag. After a moment she pulled out a can of formula and a box of baby wipes. "Now, who knows how to change a diaper?"

Wanda rolled her eyes as every other member of the house and averted their eyes and tried to look inconspicuous. "Fine I'll do it myself. Lance, I need you go to my room and grab the throw blanket off my bed as well as the laundry basket near my closet. Just dump the clothes on the floor."

"Right, be back soon. Have fun with the diaper." He nodded and ran upstairs.

At that moment Freddie came with the bottle. "Here I followed the directions like it said. Two scoops and I checked to make sure it wasn't too hot."

Just to be safe Wanda checked herself. For once someone actually did something right. Setting the bottle aside she started changing her, apparently the baby was female. Wanda then noticed that the baby had a pretty nasty rash. Probably because no one had ever bothered changing her after the first one was put on judging by the very full diaper. "Someone throw this out!" She shouted, Pyro grabbed it out of her hands cackling as he muttered something about 'revenge' and 'neighbors'. I don't even want to know. Pietro do you have any rash ointment? She's got a rash."

"There should be some in the bag, hold on a sec." He started digging around in the bag only to come out with a small tube and some baby powder. "Here, I'm pretty sure you're supposed to use both."

"Thanks." Wanda applied the ointment and powder and finished putting on the new diaper before picking her up and giving her the bottle. "There, now that she's finally quiet, what the Hell? You found her in an Alley?" She asked in a confused tone.

"Yeah, I was headed home and I heard her cry. Someone dumped her there. She'd probably be dead by morning if I hadn't gone that way." He tried putting his hand around Wanda while she was distracted. Just a second later a hex bolt sent him flying towards the stairs, nearly causing him to crash into Lance as he returned with the basket and blanket.

"Did Toad try and touch her again?" Lance asked Pietro

Her brother scoffed. "Idiot never learns. So." He turned to the rest of the group "What are we going to do with her? Turn her in?"

"That's a bad idea." Said Lance with a frown. "The foster system sucks if they think you're human. It'll be worse for kids with obvious mutations. She won't last a week."

"Xavier's then? They'll take her right?" Wanda asked.

"Yeah, they will." Lance said before pausing. "Why them? They can't do anything we can't."

"Yeah, we can do it even better!" Freddie shouted joining Lance in protest. "They'll just turn her into another X-Geek!"

"Hey I found her and I say no X-Geeks!" Toad recovered from his earlier trip in time to add his two cents.

"She isn't a pet you idiots! We don't know how to take care of a baby. Xavier's had adults with experience in child care. She's better off with them. We can't keep her. Now stop yelling before she starts crying again." Wanda told them as the baby finished the bottle and started falling asleep. "Someone, not Toad, I don't want slime on my blanket. Set the blanket inside the basket so we can use it as a crib."

"Oh, I see." Said Lance slowly with a small smirk. "You think Jean Grey can do a better job than you. Well I guess that makes sense. I mean, most of us haven't even got a GED and Grey can do just about anything."

Wanda tensed. It was a well-known fact among the brotherhood that Wanda hated the older girl. There wasn't really any reason to it. Jean just made her angry. It could have been the air of perfection or the happy family life but Wanda hated her. She could get along with Rogue, hell she could even talk classic literature with Kitty but Jean made her blood boil. It was seldom pushed button because it always led to an angry Wanda but damn if it didn't work.

As soon as Lance finished talking Pietro knew it was a done deal. He didn't bother adding his vote just shook his head and headed up stairs as Wanda abruptly changed her mind.

"Don't be an idiot! Of course I can do anything that prissy little brat can. We're keeping her. Now clean this place up. It can't stay this dirty with a baby around, she'll get sick!"

Lance and Toad high Fived as Wanda took the baby, basket and all, upstairs to her room. It occurred to her, as she set the basket on her bed, that they were probably breaking a few laws by not turning her in. They were going to have to get some paperwork for her, especially since there was very little chance of the X-men just standing by while they illegally raised a baby. A few minutes of googling later and Wanda informed her brother that they were going on a field trip to the hospital tomorrow.


End file.
